Fire crews raced to save Newcastle bar that burst into flames

Almost an hour after two employees left a popular bar owned by Silverchair bassist Chris Joannou last night, it burst into a raging inferno.

Emergency fire crews were called to The Edwards Bar on Parry Street in Newcastle, on the NSW mid-north coast, around midnight after it was consumed in flames.

Forty minutes earlier, the two workers had locked up and left the premises after finishing their shift for the night, NSW Police confirmed in a statement today.

The Edwards Bar in Newcastle, on the NSW mid-north coast, was turned into a glowing ball of flame overnight after a kitchen fire broke out. Picture: 9NEWS. (9NEWS)Multiple emergency fire crews rushed to put out the fire, however struggled because the building's roof had collapsed. Picture: 9NEWS. (9NEWS)

Authorities were alerted when large flames and thick smoke were seen coming from the venue, and the surrounding area was closed to traffic and evacuated.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told 9News.com.au that there is no connection between the two employees and the fire.

During the blaze, the building sustained major structural damage including a caved-in roof.

Silverchair bassist Chris Joannou opened The Edwards Bar in 2014, converting it from the laundromat it formerly was. Picture: Supplied. (Supplied)

Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Peter Nies told 9NEWS that multiple crews were called to the scene but the fire was difficult to put out because of the state of the building.

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“It was a difficult fire to extinguish, especially because the roof has collapsed,” he said.

The building was left glowing orange as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the venue. Picture: 9NEWS. (9NEWS)Firefighters worked for more than two hours to put the fire out. Picture: 9NEWS. (9NEWS)

“We had a fourth alarm on this fire - which is eight stations and two aerial trucks.

“There were a lot of firefighters here, but just the nature of the building (made it) really difficult to extinguish.”

In video footage from the scene of the fire, the majority of the bar can be seen glowing a bright orange as the fire overtook the building.

Two employees at the bar are believed to have locked up and left the building at 11.30pm last night, 40 minutes before flames were noticed leaping from the premises. Picture: NBN/Georgia Maher. (NBN)NSW Police say there is no connection between the two workers and the sparking of the fire. Picture: NBN/Georgia Maher. (NBN)

Firefighters worked for more than two hours to be able to finally extinguish the blaze.

It is believed the blaze may have originally been sparked in the middle of the building, close to the bar’s kitchen.

The exact cause of the fire still remains unknown, however fire authorities have said there is no obvious answer.

As daylight broke today the charred remains of the premises became clear, with most of the building's structure damaged and windows broken.

The Edwards Bar is a former laundromat-turned-music, food and culture bar that was first opened in 2014.